City employees on the verge of developing diabetes in Columbus, Macon and Athens-Clarke County will soon get help. A study by University of Georgia researchers will help workers manage their weight and reduce their risk of becoming Type II diabetics.

The University of Georgia has launched an initiative to help the state address a growing epidemic of adult and childhood obesity. The university will develop obesity prevention and treatment programs for communities, employers and health care providers to use.

Childhood obesity is a persistent problem in Georgia. It has the second highest rate of the disease in the nation. Nearly one in three children here is considered to be overweight. One elementary in Atlanta is making strides to head of the obesity trend before it sets in.

This week, GPB is focusing on the problem of childhood obesity in the state. The statistics have reached epidemic levels. Georgia ranks second in the nation for children who are obese or overweight. Experts say kids need to be more physically active in order to drop the pounds and avoid heart disease and diabetes down the road. But a new study says exercise doesn’t just make kids healthier it may actually make them smarter.

More than 1 in 3 Georgia children ages 10 to 17 are classified as overweight or obese. That’s according to a 2009 study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Two officials who head the nutrition and physical education programs for the Georgia Department of Education talk to GPB's Edgar Treiguts.

Georgians will elect the state’s first new Agriculture Commissioner in more than 40 years on Tuesday, November 3rd. J.B. Powell is a state senator and a cattle farmer and is the Democrat seeking to replace long-time commissioner Tommy Irvin.